Installation for removing a stopper rod from a ladle, applying a new covering to said stopper rod and reinserting the stopper rod into the ladle

ABSTRACT

A resting place for a ladle, a knocking off station for knocking off a refractory covering from said stopper rod, a drying kiln provided with a rod-circulating device, and a receiving portion of an inclined guide leading into said drying kiln are disposed within a range in which a rod-handling device is horizontally and vertically movable. The installation further comprises adjacent to said guide a rod-straightening station and a station for applying a refractory covering to said stopper rod.

United States Patent I I I Inventors Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Priority Erwin Kuebel;

Josef Lambrecht; Alfred Linke, all of Linz; Georg Stadlmann, Bad-Ischl,all of Austria 29,927

Apr. 20, 1970 Dec. 28, 1971 Vereinigte Osterreichische Eisen-undStahlwerke Aktiengesellschaft Linz, Austria June 6, 1969 AustriaINSTALLATION FOR REMOVING A STOPPER ROD FROM A LADLE, APPLYING A NEWCOVERING TO SAID STOPPER ROD AND REINSERTING THE STOPPER ROD INTO THELADLE 14 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

U.S.CI....r

29/200 R, 2l4/l R [5 1] Int. Cl 1323p 19/00 [50] Field of SearchReferences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 9/l95l Roberts 8 7/1952 BrodenPrimary Examiner-Theron E. Condon Assistant E.raminerRobert L, SpruillAttorney-Kurt Kelman ABSTRACT: A resting place for a ladle, a knockingoff station for knocking offa refractory covering from said stopper rod,a drying kiln provided with a rod-circulating device, and a receivingportion of an inclined guide leading into said drying kiln are disposedwithin a range in which a rod-handling device is horizontally andvertically movable. The installation further comprises adjacent to saidguide a rod-straightening station and a station for applying arefractory covering to said stopper rod.

INSTALLATION FOR REMOVING A STOPPER ROD FROM A LADLE, APPLYING A NEWCOVERING TO SAID STOPPER ROD AND REINSERTING THE STOPPER ROD INTO THELADLE It is known that molten steel is poured from steel-casting ladies,which are lined with refractory material, and the molten steel flowsthrough a tap brick which is provided in the bottom of the ladle. Thevelocity and rate at which the molten metal is poured are controlled bya stopper rod, which closes or exposes the opening in the tap brick. Thestopper rod is provided with a refractory covering of tubular bricks,which must be renewed after each charge. For that purpose, it has beenusual before to place the ladle on a tilting stand until its temperaturehas been lowered sufficiently to enable the covering of the stopper rodto be knocked off by hand. In order to reduce the cooling down time,water is often sprayed into the ladle although the sudden temperaturechange which then results will reduce the life of the ladle lining. Inspite of such measures, workmen are exposed to the still hightemperature of the ladel.

In very large steel-casting ladies, the stopper rods have a length of 4meters and more and a heavy weight of about 200 kilograms so that it isfairly difficult to apply the bricks for the rod covering. Thisoperation is carried out in most cases in a the tubular-covering bricksare threaded onto the stopper rod from a platfonn which is about4-meters high, and the bricks are then lowered and caught by hand on thebay level. The covered stopper rods are carried by a usual crane to adrying kiln and when dry are returned to the ladle.

The crane must be controlled most carefully when the stopper rods areinserted into the conveyor chain of the drying kiln and when thefinished stopper rods are inserted into the ladle.

It is an object of the invention to eliminate these disadvantages and toprovide an installation which enables the operations required to remove,cover and insert the stopper rods to be performed with a high degree ofmechanization.

The installation according to the invention is essentially characterizedin that a rod-handling device is provided, which consists of a platformwhich is movable up and down on and pivotally movable about a column, aresting station for a ladle, a station for knocking off the covering, adrying kiln provided with a rod-circulating device, and the receivingend of an inclined guide rail or the like leading into the drying kilnare provided within the range of said platform, and a rodstr'aighteningstation and a station for applying a covering to the stopper rod areprovided at said guide rail. The used stopper rod which is disposed inthe resting ladle is released from the rod guide provided at the ladleand by means of the rod-handling device is lifted from the ladle andmoved in one operation to the station for knocking off the old covering.In that station, the old covering is knocked off. When the used coveringhas been removed, the handling device transfers the bare stopper rodonto the guide rail, on which the rod reaches the additional workingstations. The rod first reaches the rodstraightening station, where itis straightened by hand or machine if this is required. The rod is thenapplied back onto the guide rail and moves along the same to the stationwhere the covering consisting of fresh-covering bricks is applied andwhere the rod is provided at its tip with a stopper brick. From the lastmentioned station, the guide rail leads directly into the drying kiln,in which the rod-circulating device engages the arriving stopper rodsprovided with a fresh covering and circulates them within the kiln. Bythe rod-handling device, the finished stopper rod is carried from thekiln back to the ladle and inserted into the ladle. The entireinstallation may be disposed outside the range of the ladle crane and itis sufficient if the range of the pivotal movement of the platformextends into the range of said crane. The need for manual work isminimized because the movement of the stopper rod from the ladle throughthe several working stations to the drying kiln and from the latter backto the ladle is performed automatically and does not involve controldifficulties and the operations in the working stations can bemechanized in a high degree. In any case it is no longer necessary toperform the required operations by means of a crane, which can performexact movements only with difficulty.

To facilitate the movement of the stopper rods along the guide rail,trolleylike roller blocks are provided according to the invention andadapted to be secured to the upper end of respective stopper rods. Theseroller blocks are secured to the stopper rods when the latter are stillwithin the ladles. The handling device then engages the stopper rodbelow the roller block and is operated to apply the roller block and therod suspended from it to the inclined guide rail so that the furthermovement is then automatically performed in that the roller block rollsdown along the guide rail.

In a development of the invention, the roller blocks are adapted to befitted onto the end portions of the stopper rods and to be fixed by aspring-loaded locking bolt, which is mounted in the roller block andadapted to snap into a transverse bore or the like in the rod. The upperend portion of the stopper rod is liable to be soiled by splashes ofmolten steel or molten slag. For this reason, a threaded joint or thelike between the roller blocks and the rod end portions would not bedesirable. The plug joint provided according to the invention is notaffected by foreign matter. The locking bolt may readily be providedwith an inclined runup surface so that it will be automatically forcedback against spring force when the roller block is placed onto the rodend portion and the locking bolt will not move into its locking positionuntil it has reached the transverse bore or the like of the rod. Thiswill simplify also the manipulations required to secure the rollerblocks to the rod end portions. When the newly covered stopper rod hasbeen inserted into the ladle, it is sufficient to pull the locking boltout of the bore or the like in the rod against the spring force and toremove the roller block from the end portion of the rod.

In accordance with the invention, barriers which intercept the rollerblocks and which are preferably operable by cylinder-piston units areprovided at the guide rail before the rod-straightening station, thestation for applying the covering to the rod and the entrance to thekiln. By these barriers, the roller blocks which carry the stopper rodsare held before the respective working station and can accumulate sothat each rod can be handled alone and cannot bypass a working station.A simple control will be enabled if the barriers are operated with theaid of hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder-piston units.

The roller blocks are preferably provided with rubber buffers or thelike on their leading and trailing end faces. These rubber buffers serveto prevent excessively hard impacts of the roller blocks as they rollalong the guide rail and are intercepted by the barriers because suchimpact might throw the roller blocks from the rail.

It is also a feature of the invention that a point is provided where theguide rail enters the drying kiln. The rod-circulating device of thedrying kiln consists, as a rule, of a suitable rail and a conveyor chainwhich is parallel to the latter rail and provided with driver flights.When stopper rods in the kiln should not be removed after onecirculation but perform a plurality of circulations, the point isrequired to selectively enable a feeding of stopper rods into the kilnfrom the outside or a circulation within the kiln.

In accordance with the invention, the station where the covering isknocked off is provided with an approximately hemicylindrical bowl,which conforms to the stopper rod and is faced on its concave side by achisel, which is operable by a compressed air cylinder. Because thestation where the covering is knocked off is within the range of therod-handling device, the latter may be used not only to move the rod tothe station where the covering is knocked off but also to impart avertical movement to the rod as the covering is knocked off. It will besufficient to arrange the hemicylindrical bowl, which serves as anabutment, and the chisel on fixed levels and to move the stopper rodsuspended from the rod-handling device throughout this operation up anddown by the rod-handling device so that the covering which has beenknocked off falls into a bin or the like placed in a suitable pit.

Stopper rods which have become bent must be straightened before they arecovered and reused. For this purpose, a straightening bed which can beerected from a horizontal position is provided in accordance with theinvention at the rodstraightening station and comprises a jib arm, whichis displaceable along the bed and serves for lifting the roller block,connected to the stopper rod, from the guide rail and for applying saidroller block to the guide rail, said bed carries a carriage carrying astraightening hammer which is operable by a cylinder-piston unit, andthe bed also carries adjustable holder-ups for engaging the stopper rod.When a stopper rod is to be straightened, the straightening bed iserected and the jib arm engages the stopper rod below the roller blockand lifts the stopper rod from the guide rail, whereafter thestraightening bed and the stopper rod received by it are lowered to ahorizontal orientation. The rod now rests on the holder-ups and can bestraightened by means of the straightening hammer mounted on thecarriage whereas the holder-ups are correspondingly adjusted. It will beunderstood that the stopper rods may be straightened by hand. When thestopper rod has been straightened, the straightening bed is raised andthe stopper rod and the roller block secured to it are transferred backonto the guide rail by means of the jib arm so that manual work ishardly required for these operations.

A beam which can be tilted up is provided in the station where thecovering is applied and said beam carries a support for the tubularbricks and a jib arm which is displaceable along the beam and whichengages each stopper rod, lifts it from the guide rail, and, afterlowering of the beam, inserts the stopper rod into he supported bricks.An adjustably mounted rodbacking roller is provided adjacent to that endportion of the brick support which faces the jib arm. Hence, the stationwhere the covering is applied is similar in structure to therodstraightening station. The jib arm which is longitudinallydisplaceable on the beam, however, does not only serve to lift thestopper rod and the roller block secured thereto from the guide rail andto apply the stopper rod to said rail, but also to introduce the rodinto the tubular bricks until the screwthreaded tip of the rod protrudesfrom the last tube. The stopper head is then screwed onto the tip. Thebacking roller serves to facilitate the insertion of the long rods intothe first brick of the covering. To prevent a pushing of the bricks fromtheir support as the rods are inserted into the bricks, the tubularbrick through which the rod moves last may be held in position by a clipor the like.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the draw ing, in whichFIG. I is a diagrammatic top plan view showing a plant for removing,covering and inserting the stopper rods of steelcasting ladies,

FIG. 2 is an elevation showing a rod-handling device and a restingladel,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view showing as a detail that end portionof the rod guide of the ladle which engages the stopper rod,

FIG. 4 is an elevation showing a station where the covering is applied,

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing a roller block applied tothe guide rail and FIG. 6 is an elevation showing a roller blockprovided with a stopper rod.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are, respectively, a top plan view and a side elevationshowing a station where the covering is knocked off.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation showing a rod-straightening statron.

The installation according to the invention comprises a resting station1 for the ladle 2, a rod-handling device 3, a knocking-off station 4, astation 5 for straightening the stopper rods, a station 6 for applying acovering and a drying kiln 7, also a guide rail 8 which extends from itsreceiving end 9 disposed within the range of the rod-handling device 3to the stations 5 and 6 and enters the kiln 7. The guide rail 8 has asuitable gradient from the receiving end 9 to the end where it entersthe kiln'7. The kiln 7 is provided with a rod-circulating device, whichcomprises and endless chain 10, provided with driver flights 11, and acirculation rail 12. Barriers 14 are provided at the guide rail 8 beforethe station 5 and the station 6 and before the entrance to the kiln.Each barrier 14 is operable by a cylinder-piston unit 13. A rail pointI6, which is also shiftable by a cylinder piston unit 15, is providedwhere the guide rail 8 enters the drying kiln 7.

In accordance with FIG. 2, the ladle 2 contains a stopper rod 17, whichis covered by tubular bricks I8 and at its tip carries a stopper I9. Thestopper rod 17 is held in the ladle 2 by a rod guide 20, which has afree end portion consisting of arms 21, which can be swung apart and intheir closed position are connected by a wedge 22. The two arms embracethe stopper rod 17, which is additionally held by two nuts 23 forcedagainst the ends of the arms.

When a stopper rod 17 is to be removed because its covering must berenewed, a trolleylike roller block 24 is fitted onto the upper end ofthe rod. A spring-loaded locking bolt 25 is mounted in the block 24 andadapted to snap into a transverse bore 26 of the rod to fix the rollerblock 24 to the end portion of the rod. When the roller block 24 hasbeen fixed to the rod, the latter is released from its guide and therod-handling device engages the upper end portion of the rod. Thisrod-handling device comprises a platform 27, which is provided withrollers which roll on a square-section column 28, along which theplatform 27 can be moved up and down by means of a chain drive 29. Thecolumn 28 can be rotated about its longitudinal axis by a drive unit 30.The platform 27 can be raised to lift the stopper rod 17 from the ladle.The column 28 can be rotated to impart a pivotal movement to theplatform 27 so that the rod 27 is moved to the knocking-off station 4.FIGS. 7 and 8 show that the station 4 comprises an approximatelyhemicylindrical bowl 33, which conforms to the stopper 17 or itscovering 18 and is disposed above a pit 31 provided with a waste bin 32.A chisel 35 is operable by a compressed air cylinder 34 faces theconcave side of the bowl 337 During the movement of the chisel, thestopper rod 17 is gradually lowered with the aid of the platform 27 sothat the bricks I8 are knocked off throughout the length of the rod.When the bricks have thus been removed from the rod 17, the latter ismoved to the receiving end 9 of the guide rail 8 by a continued movementof the platform 27 and at said receiving end 9 the roller block 24 isplaced onto the guide rail 8 whereafter the gradient of the guide railautomatically causes the rod to move to the barrier 14 preceding therod-straightening station.

The station 5 comprises a straightening bed 38, which is adapted to beerected by a pivotal movement about a horizontal axis 37 by acylinder-piston unit 36 which is provided with ajib arm 40, which bymeans of a cylinder-piston unit 39 is adjustable in the longitudinaldirection of the bed. The bed carries a carriage 41, which is providedwith a straightening hammer 42, and the bed also carries adjustableholder-ups 43. When it is desired to straighten a rod 17, the bed 38 iserected and the jib arm 40 is operated to engage the rod 17 between thetwo nuts 23 and to lift the rod 17 from the guide rail 8. The bed isthen lowered to the position shown in FIG. 9 and the rod is straightenedby means of the hammer 42 and the holderups 43. When the rod has beenstraightened, the bed 38 is swung up once more and the jib arm 40 isoperated to apply the rod I7 back to the guide rail 8. The roller blockfrom which the rod is suspended now moves along the guide rail to thestation 6 or the barrier 14 preceding the station 6. To avoid anexcessive impact between roller blocks 24 is two or more roller blocksaccumulate before a barrier, the roller blocks 24 are provided withrubber buffers 24a(FIG. 6) on their leading and trailing end faces.

The station 6 (FIG. 4) where the covering is applied comprises a beam45, which is adapted to be tilted up by a cylinder-piston unit 44 and onwhich a jib arm 46 is mounted to be longitudinally displaced by means ofan endless driving chain 47. The beam 45 is also provided with a support48 for the covering bricks 18. The support 48 is preceded by a backingroller 50, which is mounted on a pivoted arm 49.

When the beam 45 has been tilted up, thejib arm 46 receives the rod 17from the guide rail 8, just as the jib arm 40 of the straightening bed38 receives the rod in the rod-straightening station. As soon as thebeam 45 has returned to its horizontal position, the jib arm 46 isextended until the support for the bricks is freely The required newcovering bricks 18 are now placed onto the support and the outermostbrick is held in position by a clip 51 or the like. The jib arm 46 isthen retracted to push the rod 17 through the tubular bricks 18. In thisoperation, the roller 50 facilitates the insertion of the rod into thefirst brick. The rod 17 is inserted to such an extent that itsscrew-threaded tip protrudes from the last brick l8 and the stopper 19can be screwed to said tip. The clip 51 or the like is now disengagedand the beam 45 is tilted up and the covered rod 17 is applied back tothe guide rail 8, along which the rod is moved into the drying kiln 7with the aid of the roller block. When the rod has moved through thekiln and the bricks have been dried, the rod is received by the platform27 of the rod-handling device 3 and by said device is moved to the ladle2, whereafter the platform 27 is lowered to insert the rod into theladle. Thereafter, the rod guide 20, 21 is applied and the roller block24 is removed.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to theembodiments shown by way of example and that changes in design arepossible within the scope of the invention. For instance, thecylinder-piston units and chain drives may be replaced by differentmeans.

What is claimed is:

,1. An installation for removing a stopper rod from a ladle, applying anew covering to said stopper rod and reinserting the stopper rod intothe ladle, which installation comprises a resting place for a ladle,

a knocking-off station for knocking off a refractory convering from astopper rod,

a drying kiln provided with a circulating device,

an inclined guide having a receiving portion and leading into saiddrying kiln, and

a rod-handling device which is horizontally and vertically movable witha predetermined range, which includes said resting place, knocking-offstation, drying kiln, and receiving portion,

said installation further comprising adjacent to said guide arod-straightening station and a station for applying a refractorycovering to said stopper rod.

2. An installation as set forth in claim 1, in which a column isprovided and said rod-handling device comprises a platform which ismounted on said column to be movable up and down along said column andto be pivotally movable about the axis of said column.

3. An installation as set forth in claim 1, in which said guidecomprises a guide rail.

4. An installation as set forth in claim 3, which comprises atrolleylike roller block which is adapted to be fixed to the upper endportion of the stopper rod and to be applied to and roll along saidguide rail.

5. An installation as set forth in claim 4, in which said stopper rod isprovided in its upper end portion with an interlocking means, and

said roller block is adapted to be fitted on said upper end portion ofsaid stopper rod and comprises a spring-loaded locking bolt, which ismovably mounted and adapted to interengage with said interlocking means.

6. An installation as set forth in claim 5, in which said interlockingmeans comprises a transverse bore.

7. An installation as set forth in claim 4, which comprises threebarriers, which are provided at said guide rail and respectively precedesaid rod-straightening station, said station for applying saidrefractory covering and said drying kiln, said barriers being adapted tointercept said roller block on said guide rail.

8. An installation as set forth in claim 7, in which each of saidbarriers is provided with a cylinder-piston unit, which is operable tomove the respective arner into a position to mtercept said roller blockon said guide rail.

9. An installation as set forth in claim 4, in which said roller blockshave leading and trailing ends provided with cushioning means.

10 An installation as set forth in claim 9, in which said cushing meanscomprise rubbers buffers.

11. An installation as set forth in claim 4, in which saidrodstraightening station comprises a straightening bed which ispivotally movable between a horizontal position and a raised verticalposition,

a jib arm carried by said bed and displaceable along said bed to liftsaid roller block from said guide rail and to lower said roller blockonto said guide rail when said bed is in said raised position,

a carriage carried by said bed,

a straightening hammer which is carried by said carriage,

a cylinder-piston unit which is carried by said carriage and adapted tooperate said hammer, and

adjustable holder-ups carried by said bed and engageable with saidstopper rod.

12. An instllation as set forth in claim 3, which comprises a rail pointwhere the guide rail enters the drying kiln.

13. An installation as set forth in claim I, in which said knocking offstation comprises an approximately hemicylindrical bowl, which conformsto the stopper rod,

a chisel which faces the concave side of said bowl, and

a compressed air cylinder for operating said chisel.

14. An installation as set forth in claim 1, in which said station forapplying a refractory covering comprises a beam adapted to be pivotallyerected,

a support carried by said beam and adapted to support tubular refractorybricks,

a jib arm which is mounted on said beam for movement along the same,said jib arm being adapted to engage a stopper rod, lift it from saidguide and, after a lowering movement of said beam, to insert said rodthrough bricks placed on said support, and

a rod-backing roller adjustably mounted on said beam adjacent to thatend of said support which is adjacent to said jib arm,

UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent 3 629.923 llecemher za. l9ll Inventor(s) Erwin Kuehel et a],

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Page 1, in item (32) change "6" to --4-- Signed and sealed this 27th dayof June 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR.

ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 'ORMPO-1050(10-69) USCOMM-DC 6O376-P69 U.SI GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 15690-366-334

1. An installation for removing a stopper rod from a ladle, applying anew covering to said stopper rod and reinserting the stopper rod intothe ladle, which installation comprises a resting place for a ladle, aknocking-off station for knocking off a refractory convering from astopper rod, a drying kiln provided with a circulating device, aninclined guide having a receiving portion and leading into said dryingkiln, and a rod-handling device which is horizontally and verticallymovable with a predetermined range, which includes said resting place,knocking-off station, drying kiln, and receiving portion, saidinstallation further comprising adjacent to said guide arod-straightening station and a station for applying a refractorycovering to said stopper rod.
 2. An installation as set forth in claim1, in which a column is provided and said rod-handling device comprisesa platform which is mounted on said column to be movable up and downalong said column and to be pivotally movable about the axis of saidcolumn.
 3. An installation as set forth in claim 1, in which said guidecomprises a guide rail.
 4. An installation as set forth in claim 3,which comprises a trolleylike roller block which is adapted to be fixedto the upper end portion of the stopper rod and to be applied to androll along said guide rail.
 5. An installation as set forth in claim 4,in which said stopper rod is provided in its upper end portion with aninterlocking means, and said roller block is adapted to be fitted onsaid upper end portion of said stopper rod and comprises a spring-loadedlocking bolt, which is movably mounted and adapted to interengage withsaid interlocking means.
 6. An installation as set forth in claim 5, inwhich said interlocking means comprises a transverse bore.
 7. Aninstallation as set forth in claim 4, which comprises three barriers,which are provided at said guide rail and respectively precede saidrod-straightening station, said station for applying said refractorycovering and said drying kiln, said barriers being adapted to interceptsaid roller block on said guide rail.
 8. An installation as set forth inclaim 7, in which each of said barriers is provided with acylinder-piston unit, which is operable to move the respective barrierinto a position to intercept said roller block on said guide rail.
 9. Aninstallation as set forth in claim 4, in which said roller blocks haveleading and trailing ends provided with cushioning means. 10 Aninstallation as set forth in claim 9, in which said cushing meanscomprise rubbers buffers.
 11. An installation as set forth in claim 4,in which said rod-straightening station comprises a straightening bedwhich is pivotally movable between a horizontal position and a raisedvertical position, a jib arm carried by said bed and displaceable alongsaid bed to lift said roller block from said guide rail and to lowersaid roller block onto said guide rail when said bed is in said raisedposition, a carriage carried by said bed, a straightening hammer whichis carried by said carriage, a cylinder-piston unit which is carried bysaid carriage and adapted to operate said hammer, and adjustableholder-ups carried by said bed and engageable with said stopper rod. 12.An instllation as set forth in claim 3, which comprises a rail pointwhere the guide rail enters the drying kiln.
 13. An installation as setforth in claim 1, in which said knocking off station comprises anapproximately hemicylindrical bowl, which conforms to the stopper rod, achisel which faces the concave side of said bowl, and a compressed aircylinder for operating said chisel.
 14. An installation as set forth inclaim 1, in which said station for applying a refractory coveringcomprises a beam adapted to be pivotally erected, a support carried bysaid beam and adapted to support tubulAr refractory bricks, a jib armwhich is mounted on said beam for movement along the same, said jib armbeing adapted to engage a stopper rod, lift it from said guide and,after a lowering movement of said beam, to insert said rod throughbricks placed on said support, and a rod-backing roller adjustablymounted on said beam adjacent to that end of said support which isadjacent to said jib arm.